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Filtration a plus for New Belgium Ranger IPA

The Lowell Sun

Updated:
09/20/2012 06:37:47 AM EDT

This beer returned with a previously reviewed Belgian IPA from Colorado about a month ago, and it's been in the fridge since. Apparently the trip and the passivity of sitting around for a few weeks hasn't damaged its hoppy integrity at all ... seems this is resilient, and I expect nothing less from a highly-hopped and filtered beer from one of the biggest breweries in the state! Pouring an orange-tinged amber with yellow-ish highlights, this beer tops off immediately with a pretty decent head before settling to a small but appreciable rim around the glass, leaving behind really consistent lacing. Though this beer is filtered, it's not done so in a way that removes too much of its character so I'm willing to forgive in this case ... I still prefer a nice unfiltered IPA, but the filtration might have been what allowed this to survive so long without significant flavor/mouthfeel depreciation.

Right after uncapping this beer, I immediately knew I had to write about it. This is one of those American IPAs that exemplifies everything awesome about the style. Huge pine resin, caramel malt and grapefruit scents hit my nose immediately and I was so pumped to take a nice sip of this brew. This is extremely good stuff ... a sizable toffee/caramel/pale malt backbone is followed up by washes of big, fruity, pine-y, bitter and flavorful hops completely dragging the finish out to a hugely dry conclusion. Wow, this is something else. Simcoe hops pull their weight here ... big time.

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Halfway through the glass and lacing has ceased to form, but the beer still has essentially the same flavor, the hop oils overtaking and burying the caramel and pale malt as they did about 10-15 minutes ago. This is only the second beer I've had from New Belgium, as you might know, but it is quite good and dares to overtly-hop and experiment strongly at just-above-session ABVs, and for that it is deserving of praise. The fresh, bitter, resinous scent is potent and tantalizing and the malt backbone is surprisingly no-holds-barred, even as it is steadily drowned in alpha acids from a similarly-intense hop job. This is good beer, no doubt about it. Now, I wish I could get it on tap... one can only hope NB's distribution will reach this far East at some point in the (near) future.

The official breakdown:

Style: American IPA

ABV: 6.5%

Appearance: Honestly the body of this beer is a bit light and tepid-looking but the nice initial lacing and solid retention make up for that; unfortunately filtered but I guess it works here

Scent: Guava, melon, tangerine, pine, orange and slight caramel/pale malt to begin; ends bready and doughy with only a slight hint of ethanol

Taste: A succinct depiction of the state of AIPAs in one sip; engaging bitterness with a nice breadiness to the middle. Super-heavy tropical fruit as only Simcoe can provide; love it

Mouthfeel: Harsh and dominating but it allows the drinker to become friendly with it over time; it's got an easygoing-ness to it after half a sip that belies its intense nature

Drinkability: It's not extremely drinkable but it is flavorful and robust. This beer's strength is its flavor-to-ABV ratio, which it has in spades. Seems drinkability is an afterthought here Also on http://blogs.lowellsun.com/beer/...

Blue Hills Stingy Jack

I've been waiting for Blue Hills to enter the pumpkin beer arena since I first began drinking their beers, and the time is finally here this summer/fall transitional period for BH's own pumpkin lager, Stingy Jack. I find it amusing that Jack's Abby, Massachusetts' own purveyors of fine lagers, failed to get a pumpkin lager out before Blue Hills did...

Sierra Nevada Floral IPA (Beer Camp)

Last on my whirlwind tour of SN's Best of Beer Camp is this, their "Floral IPA." This is a sessionable IPA brewed with whole-cone hops and rose hips/petals. An interesting idea for sure, and I'm glad to finish my trip on something that has the greatest likelihood of being awesome.

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